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Speaking Topics

2025-26 Speaking Themes

  1. TOP GLOBAL GRAY RHINOS: What They Mean for You (Your Company or Organization)

  2. CLIMATE RISK GRAY RHINOS: Strategic Responses

  3. NEW! THE RISK YOUR “FREE-FROM” FOOD BRAND CANNOT AFFORD TO TAKE

  4. GENDER AND RISK: Debunking the Stereotypes

Past keynotes and workshops have helped trade groups, companies, teams, and current and emerging leaders to recognize and prioritize their top gray rhino risks or take a deep dive on an issue identified before the session. Gray rhino theory has helped clients to strategize responses and approaches to move key stakeholders from denial to action; identify and overcome career obstacles; and understand the broader industry, macroeconomic, and policy trends affecting their options.

”Both of your sessions were very well received by our audience and were a great success! 🙂 Book signing as well, of course!” –Corporate Client

“Many thanks to you for a fantastic presentation. The feedback and comments were all extremely positive, and it was great for our members and guests to have you provide your thoughtful and detailed overview.” –Trade Group Client

“I received so many warm comments from your master class. Everything from “highly relevant” and “practical” to “greatly informative and instructional” to “expert,” “right on point” and “eye-opening.” – Anthony Vlahos, ExecuNet

“I was at dinner with one of the participants last night who was explaining enthusiastically to her boss, how the session had helped her clearly see her gray rhino and what she needed to do to move forward.  So the concept clearly resonated.” –Corporate Client

All Gray Rhino® speaking topics are available in various formats, with virtual and in person options:
Keynotes (20 minutes to 45 minutes, with Q&A option)
Panel discussion or Fireside Chat (20 minutes to 1 hour)
Interactive Workshop versions (90 minutes to full-day, depending on your needs)
Board Retreat (1 hour to half-day)
Executive Education (90 minutes to full-day)

KEYNOTE TOPICS FOR 2025-26:

TOP GRAY RHINOS IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

This is one of Michele’s most frequently requested presentations, particularly for private audiences. Top Global Gray Rhinos combines her deep experience and personal network in global policy, finance, and economics with the powerful framework she developed for helping decision makers to improve their responses to clear and present dangers. Join the CEOs, risk professionals, boards of directors, thought leaders, and senior financial and national policy officials around the world who apply gray rhino theory to their strategic decision making. MORE DETAILS HERE

CLIMATE RISK GRAY RHINOS: STRATEGIC RESPONSES

The wildfires and multiple new record high temperatures set in 2023 are a clear reminder that climate change is a global, obvious, impactful “gray rhino” risk for boards of directors. Climate risk and the net-zero transition affect strategy and operations involving issues that range from supply chains to agriculture, property values, energy, finance, insurance, regulatory changes, reputational risk, and even recruiting and retaining employees. Companies now face not just the challenge of tracking, reporting, and reducing their own climate impact and risk exposure –but also hyper-politicized calls from groups that want them to ignore environment, social, and governance (ESG) considerations. How should boards and management teams approach and respond to the climate risk imperative? MORE DETAILS HERE

NEW! THE RISK YOUR “FREE-FROM” FOOD BRAND CANNOT AFFORD TO TAKE

Companies are wise to recognize the attractions of the fast-growing “free from” consumer market segment. People with food allergies and sensitivities are loyal, resulting in high-customer lifetime value and willingness to accept higher prices for foods that they know are safe. What’s more, many alternative, gluten-free grains come from hardy, drought-resistant crops. Baking ingredients like millets, teff, quinoa, and amaranth also can help diversify supply chains alongside more traditional crops whose supplies are vulnerable to geopolitical risk. Yet too many companies make grave mistakes that could be avoided but permanently cost companies prospective consumers for life. Systemic barriers in the food value chain make it harder than it should be to provide allergy-safe foods and hospitality experiences. These obstacles are begging for solutions: in other words, business opportunities. Hear first-hand from someone who lives with celiac disease how to avoid unforced errors and remove barriers to the lucrative “free-from” market while diversifying your ingredient sources. MORE DETAILS HERE

GENDER AND RISK: Debunking the Stereotypes

How many times have you heard that women are “risk averse”? It’s not meant as a compliment. Worse: It simply is not true. Recent research challenges older studies that made that claim despite findings with low to no statistical significance; or based their conclusions on averages versus ranges; or failed to include context. Misconceptions about the relationship between gender and risk discourage investors from funding women-led startups which are likely to outperform, prevent managers from promoting women, lead financial advisers to offer women “less risky” investment options, and misalign true risk preferences and expected behavior. Businesses that hold onto gender risk stereotypes overlook human capital, lose the decision-making advantages of gender balanced groups, and fail to connect effectively with female clients. It’s past time to change the conversation about gender and risk and replace the tired old “risk averse” label with “risk astute,” “risk aware,” and “risk savvy.” Michele Wucker draws on scholarly research and real-life stories to present a new, nuanced understanding of what businesses need to know about how and why each of us takes the risks we do (or don’t). MORE DETAILS HERE

For workshop and interactive training topics CLICK HERE